Business Law and Tax Topics with Cooper Levenson (E1507459)

Eric Browndorf, Esq., is a partner and chairman of the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice group in the Atlantic City office of Cooper Levenson. He has restricted his practice exclusivity to banking, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy and commercial litigation since 1984. Mr. Browndorf has represented unsecured creditors committees, banks, trustees, national and international real estate developers, and he was a member of the United States Trustee's private panel of trustees for a number of years.

Mr. Browndorf has written and edited numerous texts for creditors on recovery strategies, including Debt Recovery: Maintaining the Competitive Edge, Bankruptcy: A Source Manual for the Workout Specialist in New Jersey, Creditors Rights: Effective Recovery Strategies After the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 and Debt Recovery Under the New Bankruptcy Act: A Recovery Manual for the Workout Specialist in New Jersey. Previously, he was an adjunct professor in business law at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey as well as Atlantic Community College. Additionally, Mr. Browndorf has lectured throughout the United States on creditor’s rights to attorneys, bankers, accountants, trustees, and national consumer and commercial lending institutions.

His professional associations include the New Jersey Bankers Association, the New Jersey Mortgage Bankers Association, the New Jersey Consumer Creditors Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the National Association of Trustees, the Creditor Debtor's Section of the New Jersey Bar Association, and the Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations.

A magna cum laude graduate of American University and Cornell Law School, Mr. Browndorf is admitted to the bars of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Kentucky; the United States District Court, District of New Jersey; the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals; the United States Tax Court; and the United States Supreme Court.

William J. Hughes, Jr., Esq. joined the firm of Cooper Levenson as "Of Counsel" in 2002 and became a partner in 2007. His background is rich with experience in a variety of issues related to complex litigation in federal courts. After clerking for the Chief Judge for the Federal Districtof New Jersey and the Chairman of the Federal Judicial Conference, Mr. Hughes was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division, Computers and Finance Section. During this time, he worked on such high-profile cases as United States v. Microsoft, U.S. v. NASDAq Market Makers and U.S. v. Moody's Rating Services. His dedication and hard work has been recognized by the F.B.I., U.S. Secret Service, Federal Air Marshals, D.E.A., U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Postal Inspectors. Today, he concentrates his work on Complex Commercial Litigation and Federal White-Collar Criminal Defense.

Mr. Hughes is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, B.A., 1989, Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Honor Society, the Eagleton Institute of Politics and Public Policy at Rutgers University, M.A. 1991, Rutgers University Law School-Camden, J.D., 1993 and Georgetown Univesity Law Center, LL.M. inTaxation, 1998. He was admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 1993 and the District of Columbia 1995.

Randolph C. Lafferty, Esq. is a partner in the Atlantic City office of Cooper Levenson. Mr. Lafferty practices primarily in the areas of civil, commercial and general litigation. His practice also includes personal injury work, governmental law, and insurance litigation. Since his admission to the Bar, he has litigated matters throughout the State of New Jersey, in both the Superior Court and Federal Courts, as well as in other jurisdictions.

He has been involved in the improvement of the legal system and the advancement of client/litigant rights through his memberships in the Board of Governors of the American Trial Lawyers Association - New Jersey, the Supreme Court District Ethics Committee, and other organizations. His leadership at the state level includes serving for two years as Chair, of the Legislative Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Mr. Lafferty earned his A.B. degree, cum laude from Rutgers University in 1976, and his J.D. cum laude from Western New England College School of Law in 1979. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association as well as other professional associations.

With an impressive collection of favorable jury verdicts in employment matters, Russell L. Lichtenstein is generally regarded as one the most successful and effective management-side employment litigators in New Jersey.

He serves as Chairman of Cooper Levenson's Employment & Labor and Casino & Hospitality Industry Defense Litigation practice groups. He regularly appears in matters in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and before the administrative agencies which address employment issues.

Additionally, he has been admitted in other jurisdictions to assist clients around the country in a variety of employment related matters. Complementing his employment practice, Russell also has an expertise in traditional labor-law matters including contract negotiation, contact drafting, providing guidance on the daily issues that arise in a unionized workforce and defending Unfair Labor Practice charges before the NLRB.

Russell is also the firm's lead trial counsel representing casino clients. On a day-to-day basis he interacts with the casinos' risk management departments as well as coordinating activities with other departments including facilities, security, food and beverage, housekeeping, construction, maintenance in the defense of claims. Russell has a vast amount of experience and expertise in the defense of security negligence claims.

Before joining Cooper Levenson in 1983, he served with distinction as an Assistant Prosecutor in Cape May County. His expertise as a former prosecutor has given him the investigative, analytical, and courtroom skills to mount an aggressive defense of any claim or allegation.

Jill T. Ojserkis, Esq. is a partner in the Atlantic City office of Cooper Levenson. As the Chair of the Healthcare Law Practice Group, she maintains a general healthcare practice on behalf of institutional clients such as hospitals, health systems, medical staffs and ancillary providers. She also represents individual licensed providers and practice groups.

Ms. Ojserkis's client list includes hospitals, health care systems, Medical Staffs, physicians and physician groups, ambulatory surgery facilities, diagnostic imaging centers and ambulatory care facilities. She guides clients through the rapidly-changing landscape of healthcare with the necessary elements of vigilant oversight and open lines of client communication. In addition, her strong background in healthcare and her decades-long relationships within the industry make her more than an advisor to clients – she is relied upon as a trusted team member.

Ms. Ojserkis is a graduate of Boston University (B.A. 1981), the Delaware Law School (Juris Doctor 1984), and the University of Miami (LL.M. Estate Planning 1985). She is admitted to the Bar in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Tax Court.

Michael L. Salad, Esq., LL.M. is a partner in the firm. He concentrates his practice on business transactions, tax matters, probate administration and estate and business planning. Michael holds an LL.M. in Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Michael began his career at Cooper Levenson as a summer clerk in 2009 and 2010. He worked primarily within the tax law arena, concentrating on will drafting and estate and asset protection planning as well as preparing and structuring shareholder agreements, limited liability company operating agreements and partnership agreements. In addition, Michael handles general corporate matters as well as mergers and acquisitions involving corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Michael regularly travels between Florida and New Jersey and assists clients from the Northeast who are seeking to change their residency.

Michael has been named to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for 2016-present, as an Estate Planning and Probate attorney. Michael was recognized as a 2019 "Top 40 under 40" by the AC Weekly Magazine and Atlantic City Jaycees. Twitter @Michael_Salad3